SHAH ALAM, 9 June 2009: The Selangor Department of Safety and Health (DOSH) has engaged a private consultant to assist in the investigation into the cause of last month’s collapse of the old Jaya Supermarket building in Petaling Jaya.

Seven Indonesian workers’ lives were lost while demolition work was in progress at the site in Section 14.

DOSH director Ir Amir Yahya told Bernama today that the consultant from a local university was appointed by the department’s headquarters to beef up the investigation team.

He said the team, comprising DOSH engineers and officials, had begun work which was expected to take about three weeks to complete its findings and recommendations.

Human Resources Minister Datuk Dr S Subramaniam was quoted as saying that the contractor had not received DOSH clearance before beginning work, and this was an offence.

Bernama understands that a separate probe was being conducted by the Petaling Jaya City Council to determine the integrity of the building’s structure.